Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s Chief Minister and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has been ordered into custody until April 15 by an Indian court amidst allegations of corrupt liquor license allocation, just weeks before national elections. Kejriwal denounces the charges as politically motivated.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Kejriwal on March 21, accusing him of non-cooperation and evasive responses in the corruption probe. Transferred to prison, Kejriwal’s party confirms his judicial custody for 14 days.
Most of AAP’s senior leadership has already faced imprisonment in the same graft case preceding Kejriwal’s arrest, prompting opposition outcry and accusations against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for stifling dissent and democracy.
Opposition parties, including AAP, decry legal actions from federal agencies as politically driven, with Kejriwal blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for undermining the country’s democratic fabric.